ITHACA, N.Y.—The American College of Cardiology recognized Cayuga Medical Center for its expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain and heart attack symptoms.
As a member of Cayuga Health, CMC was recently awarded Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI (Percutaneous coronary intervention) and Resuscitation by the Accreditation by the American College of Cardiology based on an onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients displaying heart attack symptoms.
According to the CDC, more than 730,000 Americans suffer heart attacks each year, with the most common symptom being chest pain. Women are more likely to present with atypical symptoms, including things like tingling or discomfort in one or both arms, shoulders back, neck or jaw, shortness of breathe, cold sweat, abnormal tiredness, nausea or vomiting or sudden dizziness and fainting.
“When patients come to us with heart attack symptoms, regardless of day or night, at any time they can feel assured that we can provide the care they need,” Dr. Martin Stallone, President and CEO of Cayuga Health, said in a press release. “Accreditation by the American College of Cardiology is a credit to the dedicated staff of the Cayuga Heart and Vascular Center and all the departments that support them.”
Hospitals receiving Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation must take part in a multi-faceted clinical process involving a gap analysis, examining variances of care, developing an action plan and onsite review, and monitoring for sustained success.
In the press release, Deepak L. Bhatt, ACC Accreditation Management Board chair, said that “Cayuga Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to providing Tompkins and neighboring counties with excellent heart care. ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Cayuga Medical Center with Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation.”
As it is recognized with the accreditation, CMC has proven its exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attacks symptoms and have primary PCI available 24/7 every day of the year, as required to meet the accreditation requirements.